Keeping ‘Christ in the Passover’

Easter is less than a week away, and The Center for Judaic Studies has taken the opportunity to ensure the season’s focus remains on Christ.

On Thursday, April 14, Chief of Station at the Washington, D.C. branch of Jews for Jesus Stephen Katz gave a lecture and presentation entitled “Christ in the Passover” hosted by the center.

Katz grew up in Chicago in a conservative Jewish home. He was active in his synagogue until college, where he came to realize Jesus was the Jewish Messiah while writing a paper on why most Jews in the Bible did not believe Jesus was the Christ. After journeying to Jerusalem, engaging in social work and leading worship at his church, Katz joined the staff at Jews for Jesus where he hopes to reach his people with the gospel.

His lecture on “Israel and the Mosaic Law” was largely a question-and-answer session, held exclusively for Liberty students, followed by a presentation.

Passover, its origin, its traditions and its prophecy of Christ’s death.

Katz began in Exodus, at the first Passover. This celebration symbolically demonstrated the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the sweetness of their redemption that overshadowed their bitter bondage.

The Passover is outlined by the four cups that are taken over the course of the meal: “Kidduch” sanctification, the cup of plagues, the cup of blessing and redemption and the cup of praise.

The last cup is followed by hymns of praise, including Psalms 113 through 118.

Celebrators also sing a song to Elijah asking him to return soon and show them the Messiah.

Katz explained the deep grief it brings his heart that his people do not acknowledge the Messiah has already come.

He mourns that rather than celebrating the victory that they can have now, their Passovers are filled with anticipation and doubt as to when their redemption will come.

Jews for Jesus is a ministry founded by Moishe Rosen in 1973.

“Direct Jewish evangelism is our priority,” Russ Reed, a board member of the organization for 24 years, said.

The Jews for Jesus team has branches in 10 countries and 19 cities. The “Christ in Passover” presentation has been given at 38,000 churches.

Jews for Jesus also concentrates on other evangelistic methods, such as hand delivering more than 8 million tracts each year, sending out short-term witnessing teams to cities worldwide, media outreach through advertisements, Internet evangelism and Jewish gospel music.

They hope to minister to Christians by sharing with them the meaning of the Passover Meal and communion.

“God’s redemption from bondage wove into that Passover a picture of Jesus and his greater redemption,” David Brickner, the executive director of Jews for Jesus, said.

Each Passover closes with the words, “l’Shanah haba ‘ahn b’Yerushalyim!”  (Next year in Jerusalem).